Land of Stench
by RicherWorldBuilding
Summary: Sarah Williams is a young, magically gifted entrepreneur, who travels between her world and the Underground. This Midsummer Eve she has decided to go with an old friend to the High Court's Ball. What events will this set into motion? How will it effect the poor denizens of the Bog of Eternal Stench? J/S My first fic on this sight, please review, and I'll turn you into a prince!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One,

Sarah's life, and His Highness's "date"

Sarah Williams stood in the truck sized doorway of a building that had once been a silo, shaped like one large tube. Rather then the usual cement the floor was made of smooth dark granite that had been painted with white lines to make the room one large pentagram; with many mystic and arctic symbols around the edges.

At the center of this a hundred foot circle sat five sixty gallon water tanks, and a over four tons of dry canned food, packed and stacked in cardboard boxes, and a few wooden creates.

Sarah smiled in _almost_ , but not total, satisfaction. This was the best they had ever had. Enough supplies to last three months, plus some money left over for a midsummer treat. Izzylyn had already sent that down, and was overseeing the preparations for the party. Sarah felt a pang of regret at not being able to be there for that, to see all her friends from over the years, and celebrate the three year anniversary of their business endeavors together. But tonight she had a date with _royalty_.

You could say it had all begun seven years ago, on that most terrible night when a bratty fifteen year old wished away her baby brother, and through sheer luck and friendship got him back, but that had only been the beginning of her dealing with the underground and supernatural society.

Not three days after she had beaten the Labyrinth and it's king, she had gone to the park and happened upon the the stream spirit, -a river sprit's daughter- Lilyrunn. Through her Sarah had been introduced to small magical community around her home town. They had become her core social circle, along with her Labyrinth friends.

They had talked, and hung out around town, sometime playing around with the little bit of magic some of them had.

Then she had gone to college; where she met others who not only had supernatural powers, but with dreams and visions of their futures.

They were the ones that had started _really_ teaching her how to use her magic. Most of them were the descendants of humans who had mixed blood with some kind of fair folk: Fae, elf, troll. Together they had worked on unlocking each others potential, always driving each other to push their limits. There were so many wonderful nights just playing with what they could do, growing fairy rings, and other kinds of plants, trying to use glamor to make a bike look like a Jaguar.

It was in that progressive and competitive group she had met her first steady boyfriend Carl, a large football player that somehow had troll blood. He had taught her beautiful and frightening things that left her tingling at this the mere memory.

He had left after her freshman year to go play in higher leagues. In the after math of that break up, she had taken up the courage to physically go to visit her friends in the Labyrinth, crossing back into the underground. There she had seen for herself what their situation was like.

That had started the snow ball to start rolling down the mountain, growing larger as it rolled.

Three years later this was the result, this huge abandoned grain silo turned into a portal, it's adjacent warehouse, and three franchises along the east coast all run by her collage friends, with plans for further expansion.

It was time to get going, she took a long breath, focusing hard on her desire, _willing_ the portal to open, and the supplies to go, go _down._ Then she brought her hands together in a resounding clap.

In an instant the the lines on the floor glowed blue-green, then the center opened like a funnel on to darkness sucking the supplies down into it, as well as anything else that happened to be within the circle. Then it stopped, and all that remained was the strain white lines and a young woman standing in the truck door.

She let out a sigh of satisfaction, but not _total_ satisfaction, like there was something missing from it all. But it wasn't time to dwell on that sort of thing; it was time for a ball.

She felt a little giddy excitement build up in her as she drove home to her apartment to get ready. The high court's Midsummer Eve festival was by far the largest gathering in the underground for anyone with even the slightest claim to royalty and position – and many who didn't. There would be food and drinks, talking, dancing, and many meeting between the all fantastic types of people in the underground. As of last year it was her new favorite holiday.

Entering the apartment she kicked off her work shoes, and headed into the bathroom to shower. Once out she dried and curled her hair with magic, giving it extra volume, and spinning red and silver threads along the outside of her dark brown tresses. She slipped into the deep red gown she had conjured for herself. It was shining silk with white rhinestones around the v-neck. Lastly she applied heavy make up to her lips and around her eyes. When she was finished she surveyed herself in the bathroom's full body mirror, smiling in perfect satisfaction, knowing she looked perfectly stunning in high Fae fashion.

A glance at the clock tolled her it was 3:30pm. She moved to her room and she sat down at her old vanity, that she had taken when she moved out of her parent's house mostly for it's sentimental value. She admired her reflections in it while waiting for her "Date."

They had talked it over after some of the confusion they had run into last year, and decided – though there had never been any _real_ question – that they were going as friends, and there should never be any awkwardness about dancing with the several different male persons that approached her.

"I'm ready when you are your highness," she said.

Hoggle, Prince of the Land of Stench, appeared in her mirror, wearing his best brocade coat, and crown, that he had somehow managed to get to sit right on his head, though it had been made much too big for him and Sarah suspected that was on purpose.

"An I'm ready when you are Sarah," he said, smiling rather sheepishly.

 **A/N: Not who you thought it was going to be is it? Unless you were clever enough to relize that Jareth as a King would be a "Majesty" and a prince would be a "Highness"**

 **My first fic, so please review, tell me what you love, tell me what you hate, and how to fix it. I'm looking to improve here.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The High Court's Festival.

The High Court's Midsummer Eve festival was held in the largest ball room in the underground, one of many such halls in the High Courts castle, and the adjoining garden.

The Underground nobility arrived in order of importance; with the most important beings arriving last. The Prince of the Land of Stench and his plus one arrived fifth, after the Patch King, the Duke of _almost_ sentient furniture, Lady Earstring, Lord Twitch, and The Grand Lord Viscount of Paper Pushing, most utterly useless official in all the Underground.

"We would have been sixth," Hoggle muttered as they descended the great stairs, "But the King of Card Stacking never comes."

Behind them the herald announced: "Her Highness Rosalicka Princess of Overbearing Mothers-In-Law!"

In front of them lay the largest ball room in all the underground, empty save for the few other nobodies. It was a huge white and gold hall; with tables and chairs set around the pillared walls. Along one of these walls there were glass doors leading out into the garden, and above them were huge stained glass windows. The whole floor was a mass of golden hoops spirals under their feet, faces were carved around the bases of the pillars, and the room was lite by floating fairy lights that swayed slightly.

Hoggle and Sarah moved towards the other nobodies, most of whom were sitting at the one of the short round table's that higher folk wouldn't oblige them to leave latter on, happily situated in the corner farthest from the bathroom's snack table, dance floor, and garden doors.

Sarah and Hoggle made some small talk with other none importance people as they arrived, waiting for the more important people to show up, so the party could really start.

Against the slow intervals small talk dried up Sarah brought a book on marketing, trying to decided if and how they should start an add campaign.

Eventually enough people Sarah had met last year, and from other functions, arrived and she greeted them warmly, like Lord and Lady Marsh Horn, who ruled over the Horn Marsh inside the Troll realm.

By the time the Worm King arrived, inching over to join their table, you knew people of some actual importance had started to arrive.

They exchanged pleasantries with the his Majesty, and the topic turned to Sarah's work, of which she said: "Is doing wonderfully," which was true, and "I can't think of what else I might be doing with my life," Which was _almost true_. True enough to say anyway, there wasn't anything else she _could_ do that so desperately needed doing.

"So glad to hear, miss Williams," The little blue king said, in his utterly adorable accent, "Genius of you to find uses for all that junk! And to bring help to such a place as the Bog of Eternal Stanch!" He shook his head in admiration, "You must be very proud."

Sarah blushed. "You flatter me your majesty."

"Sarah's done wonders for us," Hoggle declared proudly, "Ain't no one would do business with a Bogger. No merchant's, no imports, nothing beyond what was grows there," Hoggle shuddered, "Some of us were barely getting by until she started this 'refurbishing' business. Now we get above ground food, and building supplies, and live as good as any goblin in Jareth's Castle!"

Sarah shook her head, a trifle embarrassed. At the great stairs she heard the Major of The Goblin City being announced.

"Do you have any plans to start trading thses above ground stuffs beyond the bog?" Rupual, the Third Lord of Troll Bone's asked. He was a being of very mixed blood, with the stunted silver horns of a troll, an elf pointed ears, and the mismatched eye's of a fea. He was the younger son of a family of social climbers, currently residing in the Troll kings court. A nice, modestly ambitious fellow. He matched his busy face by wearing equally busy cloths. He continued, "I know a fellow in String's Middle who is has connections with the elven merchant's guild. They could get you far reaching access."

"The issue with that your lordship is that as of right now we aren't producing enough refurbished furniture to buy any real amount of excess supplies to sell." Sarah explained. The main focus of the business was helping the bog people, they refurbish furniture from the great junk yard, she sold it Aboveground using the profits to buy the food and supplies. They had long term plans to expand their efforts to other struggling regions both in the Underground and Aboveground, so she wasn't closed to the idea of selling down here, so long as the amount of supplies they sold meant more help going to people who needed it, they just weren't at that point yet.

He shrugged. "Well call me if there is anything I can help with. I'd love to help." The music had started an hour or so ago, and the dance floor was filled. It emptied as a song ended, and something between a Tango and a Rumba started. Rupual stood, offering her his hand, "Care to dance this Arubang with me?"

Sarah did, and wished as they spun and flowed through the dance, that she did this more often. She liked dancing, always had, but didn't really have the time to put a lot of time into things she just 'liked'. She would be dammed if the people in the bog lived less then the life they deserved, or if Toby didn't have the best, most well adjusted childhood ever, and she wouldn't compromise on her dream to be valedictorian when her last semester finished. The last in list of things she'd be damned if they didn't happen, was a chance you only got once. Her will was damn well strong enough to get it, _while_ doing just a good a job with the rest, because to do otherwise was to _sell_ _out_ on the three groups of people she valued most.

She was Sarah Williams. She always did her best in the things that deserved it, and the price of doing that amount of work wasn't _too_ high. So what if she didn't dance more then was necessary? Had to stop acting altogether? Didn't have the time to meet her neighbors, or even go see grandma last spring? So what if she lay awake some night, feeling the world crashing down around her? Those were all little things compared to the Big Picture, the picture that said it that Broadway and the hot young man down the hall were a _million_ times less important then the people who needed help.

After the dance Rupual introduced her to some of his friends and relatives, mostly from the Troll kings court. She talked, danced, and laughed, enjoying this one night of break.

All the while the herald at the top of the stairs kept announcing the never ending line of nobility:

...

"Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of Trolls!"

...

"Her Majesty The Queen of Hearts!"

...

"His Majesty, Garther, Duke of the Marred Mines, and King of Trolls!"

...

"His Majesty, Jareth, Lord of the Labyrinth and King of Goblins!"

 **A/N Thanks to all my reviewers! ((Poof!)) I Proclaim you all Princes! Keep them coming, Love or Criticism they are the bread of life!**

 **I am giving a prize to anyone who can guess all three of the groups of people most important to Sarah. Everyone will guess the first two, it it will take some serious outside the box thinking to figure this one out!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

His Majesty, Jareth, Lord of the Labyrinth, and King of Goblins

She shouldn't have been surprised, the only reason he hadn't been at this party last year was because of a runner in the Labyrinth, so Hoggle had said, but that didn't stop a tiny alarm going off in her head. The ball room was almost full now, with several hundred different beings. Rationally she knew the chances of meeting one man, one who would _definitely_ be among the fashionable important people, not near her crew, were astronomically low, but her heart rate still went up just slightly, taking away her ease. It was stupid, really. She had looked up as he entered, wondering if he had changed.

He hadn't. His dark gray pants were tight – you could tell even at this distance –. He wore a black coat that shimmered, with silver lace at the collar and cuffs. That would be heavy make up around his eye's no doubt. His hair... was still _fabulous_ hair. Her girlhood dream. Something inside her stirred.

She took a breath and put a lid on it, careful what she wished for. She tried turned her attention back to Rupual's cousin Mizyl, who was mostly troll but had a little elvish blood. She was a heavy set lady with large silver horns sprouting above her pointed ears. She was gossiping away to the group:

"No one saw it coming. They say the elven king _disowned_ him when he found out, and the dwarf could never show his face around the mountain again. But the white lady took pity on them because of their service to the realm, and to her grandson-in-law, who was king of the white city –"

No, that couldn't hold her interest. She excused herself from Rupaul and his friends and family, deciding to head back to Hoggle, in the hope to center herself, and get possession of her suddenly fired emotions. _Don't let emotions rule your actions,_ The logical part of her brain told her, _Remember the last time you let that happen._

She made her way through the crowd of coats and ball gowns, to where you had to be careful of not stepping on the gnome king's idiot cousin twelve times removed. Past the giant rats with beady red eye's, and that one dark fellow who just stared unblinking at everyone all at once. She shivered.

Hoggle was chatting with a thin, bony, gray, fellow, who looked something between and goblin and a dwarf, but with huge lamp like eyes.

"He stole it from us!" The thing said.

"That's, erm, that's awful," Hoggle replied, looking rather uncomfortable, "Erm, I, uh, I hope you catch the thief," He glanced up and saw her, whereupon his face lite up in relief, "Sarah! So good glad you came back, erm, well uh, so glad to see you, again. This is Glum," He gestured to the large eyed being, "He was uh, just telling me about a fellow stole some of it's, er, _His_ property, right out of it's cave, he did, and right after cheating at a game of riddles."

"Thief!" 'Glum' hissed, and abruptly crawled off.

Hoggle shuddered, and Sarah sat down in one of the little gray chairs, _not_ in the seat just vacated by 'Glum', "There are some truly horrible beings in this world. Only thing I wonder is how that thing arrived after us," he muttered.

Sarah shrugged, "Maybe he works in some fishing department."

"Maybe," Hoggle mutter darkly, then lightened up, "But how's your evening coming? Frankly I wasn't expecting you to come back after you went off with that nice looking fella."

"I would never leave my best friend too long," Sarah replied, and watched Hoggle blush, "Besides, my feet got tried."

"Oh! I'll get you a drink!" He said jumping up, "Least we best friends can do!"

Sarah found herself shaking her head and grinning fondly after his scurrying form. His crown had gone crooked again, and she noted that the brocade coat was perhaps a bit big for him. He disappeared into the crowed, heading for the snack table, giving Sarah the time to finish composing herself. Though just being around the sweet dwarf was enough to take the edge off the scrambled feelings.

She had always known that eventually, given the nature of her work, that she would meet Jareth again. She wasn't ready for it yet –

There was a sudden crash from the direction of the snack table, fallowed by a burst of laughter. Like a sixth sense, she knew, and in a second was on her feet moving through the crowd. She arrived at the large snack table, and slipping past the many high fae. There was still some mocking laughter, some angry words passed about the little scab...

She found Hoggle standing up from where he had some how fallen, taking the huge punch bowl and and several glasses with him. He was soaked through with the purple drink, and standing in a pool of the liquid and glass shards. His crown was dangling by one ear, and his face was red with anger "You tripped me!" He accused.

Sarah looked up to see a fae male standing on the other side of the pool from her. Her mouth tightened, and her eye's narrowed, Jareth, the Goblin King, riding crop in one hand staring mockingly down at his humiliated vassal. Of _course_ it was.

He laughed, and his voice was like cool water running down your back, "Now, Heddle, what a rude thing to say... Blaming your own clumsiness on others..." Jareth leaned down slightly, towering over Hoggle, "Especially on _me_ , what _ever_ would make you do that?"

"Maybe because you tripped him," Sarah said icily.

Jareth straightened to look directly at her, Hoggle turned, only to slip in the punch and fall over again.

There was even more laughter from the fae around them, but not from the Goblin King, he took her in with an arched eyebrow, "Miss Williams."

"Your Majesty," Sarah stiffly curtsied, and also bent down to help a frightened Hoggle up. As they rose Sarah's green eyes never left Jareth's mismatched ones. In one hand she conjured a milky white sphere, and dropped it on the floor. It and the mess disappeared in a light mist, and Hoggle was decent again, his clothes clean, crown on straight.

Both of Jareth's brows rose, "Impressive Sarah," and gave her a respectful bow, "I must say didn't I expect to see you here."

"The Prince of Stench invited me," she said, not losing the icy tone. Hoggle had slipped behind her to cower.

"How very kind of him," Jareth said with a glance at Hoggle, who made a distressed sound behind her. The Goblin King smiled, he crossed his arms and his riding crop disappeared, "But how are you Sarah? It has been such a long time, and how is young Toby?"

"He is perfectly fine and happy," Sarah turned, her voice taking on mock casualness, "How kind of you to ask, and how is your Majesty? Still stealing children?"

"What a bold thing to say," He sighed, then stepped in closer, "Do you dance Miss Williams?"

Somehow her mind wasn't surprised, and was ready to do the lightning calculation, on whether it was better to dance with Hoggle's liege lord, or to insult him by walking off, knowing they would doubtless meet again after this... Sarah smiled, her eyes narrowed, "I'd love to."

"Sarah..." Hoggle whimpered from behind her.

Jareth put out his hand, she took it with the most cold confidence she could muster. Though emotions other then cold anger were starting stir again. The logical and angry parts of Sarah's brain told them to _shut_ _up_ , and she would satisfy them latter.

They came to an open place on the dance floor, and began the simple back and forth basic.

"I do not steal anything, Sarah, not even babies. I take what is wished to me. One of my ancestors seemed to believe it was some kind of charity to take the unwanted things from your world, and made it mandatory for every the heir to his realm continue taking things wished away forever after. It goes without saying he was an idiot."

"He sounds it," Sarah said dryly, "And I would forgive you then for being forced to take children, if I saw any proof that you didn't relish it."

"Enlighten me how that should be accomplished, Sarah?" He said silkily, with no little hint of mocking. He twirled her out from him.

"You could give the children back when they are asked for them. Or if your ancestors idiotic rules don't allow that, make the runners trip through the Labyrinth easier." She came back to him.

When Jareth next spoke, his voice was just as mocking, but it had gained an icy edge, "No, I cannot just give back the child or item, that was a clause added by another of my ancestors. I make no comment as to _her_ mental capacity, mostly because I myself see no reason to make life any easier for people _who wish away their children_. Take your young self for example, a well fed dreamer with little to no real troubles in her life, certainly nothing that could remotely justify the _casting aside_ of her baby brother. But you did it anyway, because you _tired_ of taking care of him. I saw, nor see any reason to allow that kind of behavior to pass without consequence."

Sarah didn't have a come back to that actually, he did have a rather good point... but there was something... they spun around again.

"And don't think your case is special in any way, save that you did have the moral fiber to actually get him back. In all my rule as king, _none_ of the wishers have had legitimate reasons for what they did, not when it comes to children. In these days in the aboveground anyone who honestly cannot take care of a child wouldn't send them to me."

Sarah had to admit that would be true, but her pride did not like the bowing, "I must admit I had not given it that amount of thought. I see your point." No, she didn't like the bowing at all.

"Clearly," he said in cool silky tones, "but as I said, at least you had the moral fiber to get him back."

It didn't make his treatment of Hoggle any better, she told herself, not in the least. The song ended, he bowed, and she curtsied.

"But enough about old grievances," Jareth said, taking a lighter tone, and waving his hand as if to wave away the past. He took her arm and started to lead her away, "Tell me Sarah, what has occupied your time sense your adventures into my realm? I am interested in where you have been learning magic; that little scab could hardly teach you."

"I am mostly self taught, but who do you mean by _that little scab?_ "

"The dwarf, Headworm," Jareth replied, "You should really look onto getting a proper teacher, there are wonders you could learn _far_ beyond simple cleaning spells."

"Yes I know, and I can do _far_ more then that, but I don't really have the time for proper lessons," Sarah took note that they were headed towards the glass doors that led into the garden, but kept walking and kept the conversation going.

"Your that busy in summer?"

 _He doesn't know about my business_ , she realized, and her option of him as a king went down several notches. "Yes, I have many things that need done."

"Taking summer school?"

"No, I run a charity organization."

"And it takes up _all_ your time?"

"That, and other hobbies," which wasn't really true, work was life in its way.

They had passed out into the gardens, which were lite by many colored fairy lights dancing about the huge flowering trees, leafy bushes, and strangely abstract stone figures. The path they walked on was made gray and tan stones, laid in spirals patterns. There were several other couples and groups here under the full moon and stars, all tall people of importance, none of them intersecting each other.

"A word of advice Sarah, there is nothing that will give you as good an edge in life as magic will. The more you know the more you can do, the more you can do, the more respect and influence you will have," His voice was so deep and silky, it made her think of a spider luring her in.

"I am aware of that," Sarah said as they moved down the path. Her eye's moved upward to where the sky was full of stars you could never see in an Abovegroud city. Under them she felt subdued, and her voice was calmer, not so loud or hard as before.

"But you don't make it a priority," He replied, his voice also quieting.

"I didn't say that your majesty, merely I haven't the time for a teacher," she said.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw him also lift his eyes heavenward. Sarah wondered distantly how this place had gotten that name, it never felt like it was underground.

"Lovely aren't they?" He said. Steering them off the main path to a bench among the grass, between bushes filled with blue fairy lights. They weren't too far from the main building, and you could still hear the noise from the party, but it was distant. Sarah found she liked it, there were just enough other people in the garden that she wasn't really afraid of anything.

"Yes," She said, aware she should probably go back in, but enjoying her time here under the cold beauty of the merciless stars. "So Goblin King, how fares your kingdom and affairs?"

"Very well, Sarah, the maze dwellers and the city dwellers get along best they can. Even the my bog is doing well."

"Yes I know. You should be proud of Hoggle."

"I rather doubt it's his doing," Jareth said with a glance at her.

"If you didn't think him a good leader why did you appoint him prince?"

"His cowardice annoyed me," Jareth said with a wave of his hand.

The mood was broken. "Ah, yes a show of true kingly wisdom. The cure for cowardice is _obviously_ to appoint him to the most laughable government position in your realm. So where he was once a fairly respectable person able to go about his business in peace, he is now _mocked_ _in_ _the_ _streets, and_ has been publicly humiliated _twice_ , because of your _whims?_ " She had honestly never heard of anything so pathetic in her life.

"The little scamp could never pick which side he was on, never could be trusted with anything. During your run he first betrayed me for a plastic bracelet, then betrayed you because I scared him, then went back to you, then came back to me, then went back to you, then back to me, and finally back to you. But I must say Sarah that the only reason I can see why he didn't switch back _again_ , was because by that time you were already through the labyrinth and at my gates, so there was _hardly_ time for it.

"I had fired him once before your run for similar acts. After which he came pleading to me day in and day out, saying that he would do _better_ , make it up to me somehow. This time I saved myself his pathetic groveling, while soundly punishing him for his cowardice and betrayal." He gave a wave of the hand, his voice lowered, "And because I have a strong suspicion the Fates are madly in love with me, it _all_ worked out, and now my bog people are happy and prosperous. Not of course because that scab could honestly do anything of any value, but because he somehow wormed his way into your affections."

Sarah didn't deny it, shame on her she supposed. She thought for a moment, again he had a point, and she could see his reasoning. She sighed, "You do as you please I suppose. You should have fired him, explained why, and you both would just have to dealt with it." It was the good moral thing to do, but that didn't mean people actually did it, pity. She wondered though if she should give him more of the 'king points' she had begun mentally tallying for giving Hoggle another job after he first fired him; she probably wouldn't have; and on that thought she should probably go back to the party, this man was depressing her.

"I do not have time to _deal_ with fools such as him," Jareth said with an impatient wave of his hand, as if brushing Hoggle and all others like him aside, "People such as your _friend_ Heggle, who never do _anything_ for themselves, but sit and wait, and _complain,_ _wishing_ for _someone_ to come save them from their own folly. Someone they see as greater, more powerful, people like myself, and unless the reports I have been getting from my Bog are totally inaccurate, people like _yourself,_ Sarah. People who don't wait for others to move, people take _control_ of their lives, instead of waiting for kings or friends to push them one way or another. People who defy the path and flow of things." He turned to give her a searching look, eyes narrowed, "I wonder when it will be, Sarah, when you will tire of them, those little people who complain even in comfort. Or perhaps you will become one. Fall into routine and set petty boundaries for what you can and cannot do..."

Sarah returned his gaze, gave a moments consideration to his honestly thought provoking speech, then got up and left. _What was that?!_

* * *

 **N/A: Hey! so I moved my post days to Fridays, this is deliberate, don't worry I will still post once a week. Thanks to all my reviewers! they are the bread of life! Keep them coming or I will have Sarah tear a whole in the fabric of the world and fling herself into it:**

 **"AAAAAAAAAA WHY DID I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEEEAAAA!"**

 **and thus was the end of Sarah.**

 **If you can find all the (or just the most) lotr references in this chapter I will have you will appear as a background Character!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Friends

Needless to say, the rantings of a self righteous prick had not put Sarah into a partying mood.

Instead, she felt a very grim need to work harder, do more then what she was... Maybe not go for Valedictorian after all, giving her life totally over to the job. She wouldn't, _couldn't,_ let herself be kept down; _especially_ not by the likes of the _Goblin King._

She might work herself to an early grave, but she would make a thousand lives better doing it.

All that being said, Jareth was _scary,_ and not really because he was a powerful fae King, who held the lives of hundreds in the balance; but because while he was talking, she had understood _every word,_ and _every feeling_ behind them.

The feeling that you were somehow better than others, lived on a higher plane of existence. The idea that you were more important because of what you had done, or what you had gone through. That those thing made you the exception to certain rules. That kind of perspective had a hand in her wishing away her baby brother.

At the time, she had felt that of _course_ she was more important than Toby. Her mother had _left_ her, she was a half orphan, – yes, she had actually thought that – and she did _so much_ work around the house. Shouldn't she be the center of her parent's lives? Wasn't he an interloper on the love she had prior claim to?

Jarath had been _born_ to be Goblin King, held the right to rule, the power of ultimate judgment over peoples' lives, not to mention renowned as one of the greatest magicians in the land. Why should he bother with people like Hoggle?

Yes, she understood that perfectly, and on that note she really felt like going home and getting some sleep. In the morning she would figure out more of this marketing business.

She had made her way inside from the gardens, and was now slipping between the various beings of the Underground, heading back towards the unfashionable section, planning to stop and get a drink on her way.

"Sarah."

She turned to see Rupual and Hoggle coming over to the little clearing in the crowd she was passing through.

"Your friend here has been exstreamly worried about you," Rupual said.

"Ooh, when you didn't come back after dancing with him, I could only assume the worst," Hoggle said, and she saw his fists were clenched.

"I'm alright, Hoggle. His Majesty was... a _gentlemen,_ though I wouldn't want to dance with him again."

"I wouldn't of danced with him the first time. It ain't safe! That rat, who knows what he might do with a nice young girl like yourself! Take your dreams, ruin your life. He's got no feeling that one," Hoggle said this with all the vehemence in his little body.

"I'm fine Hoggle." His concerned speech was _sweet._.. Sarah decided, but also kind of insulting. It was the sort of thing you wondered if he would have been said if she was say, a man; and she found she really wasn't in the mood to brush it off.

Jareth was scary, and powerful, and, alright perhaps dangerous in regards to woman, if given the chance. But surely Hoggle knew she would _never_ give _anyone_ that chance. Even the Goblin King, hell _especially_ him. She wasn't a fool, knew the all warning signs, would _never_ go off alone and unguarded with a man she _definitely_ didn't trust, _she wasn't that stupid._ On top of that she _did_ have magic, which ought to count for _something_. But no, Hoggle had still been scared, and alright _maybe_ he had the right to be... But it hurt on some gut level.

"Of course she is, see Hoggle just like I told you," Rupual said, calmly flowing over the situation, "There is no way anything could have really happened, I'm pretty sure they even have wards against it here."

Hoggle still muttered but seemed passivised.

"Even if there weren't wards I would be fine," Sarah said, knowing full well it would braek any friendly mood.

"I never said you did, and I'm sure you wouldn't," Rupual said peaceably, "I do actually have another reason for coming looking for you. Her Highness Princess Beatrice of Trolls has asked me to introduced you."

 _Huh?_ Sarah's brows rose. "Isn't she the heir to the throne?"

"Yes. Apparently she has heard good things about your operations in the Land of Stench, and is _very_ interested in meeting you."

Sarah's brain took a moment to take that in, along with Rupual's obvious pleasure at being the one to bear the news. Then: "I would be honored," and followed him through the crowd. Her mind suddenly going around the the very bare part of her brain on the Crown Princess of the Troll realm.

Who was she again? What did she do?.. Her brain had little to no idea, beyond that she would important, which made Sarah disappointed in herself, actually. "May I ask if there is anything she particularly wants to meet me for?" She asked.

"You've heard about the Marred Mines?"

Her brain searched again, "It's the troll prison isn't it? Where you send criminals to work off their crimes?"

"Correct. It's also where a large part of our kingdom's wealth comes from, and a huge amount of the raw resources in the Underground. To put long story short, there are a fair number of us with problems as to how it's run. The miners aren't paid anything for their labor, and their welfare is the last thing the lords who run it care about."

"I see," Sarah's eye's narrowed.

"If you could get to know her, we would be grateful."

Sarah nodded; the fast moving business cogs of her brain already starting gear up, "I can do that."

"Thank you," he looked relieved.

They continued through the the crowed, to where many high fae and full-blooded trolls were chatting.

"Your highness," Rupual stopped and bowed in front of an eight foot trolless, of whose silver horns were by no means stunted like the mixed bloods Sarah had met, adding another foot to the Lady's height. Her skin was a perfect smooth gray like polished marble, and her eyes were like black beetles. Her hair was a mass of black braids interwoven with gemstones, matching the ones embroidered on her green silk gown. Around her neck she wore a great necklace of gold, that had the stylized crescent moon of the troll realm for a central pendant.

Sarah gave a deep curtsy, her heart rate going up just slightly.

* * *

Outside in the garden, under a moonlit sky. The pale haired Goblin King stared up at the unblinking stars, wondering if perhaps, he had said something wrong, or if she was just too thick to understand what he was talking about.

* * *

 **N/A Hey! thanks to all my reviewers! Keep them coming, they keep me going. Tell if you love it, tell me if you hate it, tell me if it's just 'Okay.' I need it all.**

 **Reviewer Replies: (For some of you I haven't been able to PM a response, even when I wanted to. So because this is a short chapter I thought I'd finally put them in)**

 **Aquamarine: Great Idea's. I honestly hadn't thought of that, and might put that in. If it's okay with you.**

 **HachimansKitsune: I've read some of your work, and seen how many reviews you must get, and doubtless get ton's of PM's. More is coming! Thank you for your support!**

 **Honoria Granger: Not expecting you hear from you honestly, but it's all cool. Yes, Rupual is the name of probably one of the most famous Drag Queens of all time. I'm a big fan of his show "Drag Race".**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Marred Mines and Magic.**

Sarah entered her apartment through the full body mirror in her living room, then headed straight for her room. Once the door was closed, she peeled gratefully out of her heels and the dress. It was about seven hours since she had left for the festival. A little more than halfway through that, she had sat down with Princess Beatrice and Rupual. She took a long deep breath, and plopped down on her bed.

 _The Marred Mines_. She took another breath and sat up.

To be sent to work the mines was the only kind of corporal punishment receivable in the Troll Kingdom other than banishment. The mine held around two thousand prisoners. About three in ten of which were serving a life sentence, and at least one man _died_ everyday. The mines were probably the last remaining hell hole in the underground, created in a darker time by truly ancient warlords.

Why and how on _earth_ does this still exists? Was the question any sane person would ask; when Mordor was long laid low, The Twilight Realm's rightful queen restored, and Dracula's kind diminished until they were almost _laughable,_ how in _hell_ did _this_ still survive?

Rupual had given Sarah told answer in a private talk after her meeting with the princess:

The mines were inside the once volcanic Mountains of Mourning, where the Dragon King once ruled, and over half the true gold and iron in the Underground came from them.

Iron, that deadly material no one in any kind of magical realm or circle could be safe without. Nations standing armies were considered useless with out iron forged weapons, and iron protection charms. A goblin in the goblin city might buy a house that _literally_ fell down on top of them, but they would never buy one without at least an iron charm on the door. Sarah's own apartment had three such charms against intruders.

People always needed iron, wanted it cheep, and were point blank: far more willing to have some faceless criminal fall out the underside of the earth, then risk their own personal interest and safety.

Sarah's mouth tightened just thinking about it, and her mostly directionless anger made her too mentally awake to sleep, no matter her feet hurt. She felt the need to keep going. Felt like she could reach out her hands and make the half formed plans in her mind reality by the sheer force of her will.

Forming a protest was one plan; carrying signs, marching in lines, and so forth. But meeting with the powers that be with a business deal would probably work better.

She could think of a hundred good arguments off the top of her head: _A healthy, well fed prisoner does better work. Is it really cost effect to have the workers die on the job? Plus adding just a few basic safety spells would do wonders for PR._

She was fairly certain that those who were in charge of the mines, – namely the Troll Queens brother, one Lord Garvact, and the Lady Falvek, who was the head of a very old, and very respectable bloodline, – weren't particularly concerned with moral obligations when it came to the prisoners. She would tailor her arguments accordingly, saving ones like: _What does it say about your justice system that a hundred seventy three years after the death penalty was dropped, over twenty eight criminals die every week?_ For other parties.

It had all happened very fast this evening, the getting involved with all this. The hope Rupual had was that Sarah, a new talented face, could get Beatrice on their side, and then through her get to Garvact and Falvek, possibly the King and Queen.

Where in hell she was going to find time for this between food distribution in the bog, the marketing research, going to see her family on weekends, and going to look at that open storefront in the New York suburbs... she didn't know... _Sigh. Over twenty eight people, every week. What truly good person would turn away?_

One thing was becoming very certain, no Valedictorian for Sarah Williams. Sarah slipped into her pajamas, trying not to cry.

She sat down at her work desk, where she booted up her Windows ninety-five. She again found herself wondering, wishing, that she could fix everything wrong in this world, and the flat one below, by sheer force of will.

That was how magic worked; your own willpower against whatever was holding you back. Those who had the right determination and ambition, could literally _make the world bend_ to their _whims_ if they chose to. It was hard work most of the time, shoving and molding things, especially in the beginning, when you aren't quite certain you can actually glamor a bike to look like a car. She had once been asked how and why she managed and or bothered pushing her way through the forces that held the universe together.

She had answered: "Because I can, why don't you? It makes life so much easier."

She opened the word file where her marketing notes were, then opened the textbook and started her reading. She was probably going to get about four hours sleep tonight.

* * *

Jareth returned from the High Court's festival a little earlier than he expected. He walked almost fully upright into the throne room, and plopped down in the great chair.

The castle was quiet this evening, due to the long standing law that all official parties were to be held _anywhere_ other than the castle. The law had been instated after the Great Burning of Eleventee-First, when a past monarch's birthday party had gone _very_ wrong. Outside the castle, things were still raging on; both in the Labyrinth and in the city, but only an echo of that noise reached him here.

He let out a sigh and leaned back, listening to the pounding of his own brain. He didn't get quite very often, and it _ought_ to have been nice, but it wasn't.

It couldn't be the drink, he had used a spell to disperse the hangover, and he had had nothing but fun this evening. He _ought_ to be feeling fantastic, but for some reason everything felt disgusting tonight; like he hadn't bathed in days, only the filth was _inside_ him, as if his brain filled with gunk. Everything had gone right tonight, except for that little slip Sarah, and surely her little barbs weren't enough to cause him this level of discomfort? No not by themselves.

He sighed. Sarah.

Hers had been one of the most memorable runs. He always felt a _pull_ before a wish was made, calling him above to the person who would make the wish, though he could do nothing to stop them making their wish – another of his ancestors _brilliant_ rules –. Usually he could tell whether or nor a runner had what it took to make it through. He had flown up and saw a pretty, whiny little brat, and pegged her as not making it. She had seemed so pathetic in the beginning, like a bug to be crushed.

Little had he known.

The only way he could describe it was that the further she progressed, the more she grew up. Especially near the middle of her run he had watched fairly fascinated as the brat was slowly stripped away; and _Gods Above_ that transition made her _beautiful._

On impulse he decided to dance with her in the dream room, and in that dance had found himself imagining everything she could be; a proud, strong, imaginative[ woman. A woman he had suddenly found he _wanted._ He had wanted to take her right then, keep her and raise her, mold her into his dream.

 _Madness._ It had been thirteen hours of utter _madness._ He thanked his stars she had won, and gone on with her life, and he had never seen what his dream would have done to him.

Now, she was grown. Now, she seemed to have ambition to go along with her determination, even if that ambition was foolish, and it stood it was a terrible waste of talent. If she had come into her powers a little younger in life, he could see her among the greats in his great uncle Salazars school for the ambitious, which would have helped hone her priorities.

 _Charity organization for The Bog of Eternal Stench_. He half laughed at the very notion, but still felt filthy inside, which dampened his humor. He wished he could kick the feeling out like a goblin, but barring that, decided flying would probably clear it.

He stood, transformed into a white owl, and flew out through the window over the goblin city. Below him things had descended almost entirely into riots. He reflected that he might go down and quiet things. But he flew on. They were always _idiots,_ let them suffer.

He flew out over the labyrinth, its millions of moonlit paths ought to have been fascinating, and inspiring, but they weren't. The wind didn't make him feel clean or clear in the head, didn't kick his brain into action. Instead he was just annoyed at it all, annoyed at his younger self for ever choosing this path, this cage of a position. He wanted out of here, at the same time knowing he couldn't actually bring himself to leave.

Partly because he knew that if there was any sight or smell that would clear his head, and partly because he was actually interested in seeing Sarah's little operation, he turned back heading almost but not quite towards the goblin city.

In little time at all he was over the bog, could smell it, and see the fires glowing near the mud brick shack that was the 'Prince's' residence. He dove down to take a look, landing on a tree branch.

Here the party had definitely wound down, in fact it was being packed up. Under the direction of a red haired mixed-blood, the bog goblins were busily picking up trash, folding up and stacking some very strange metal chairs, and putting what appeared extra food into clear above ground containers. They were also humming in a rather cute manner.

In all his long existence he had never been so unsure whether to laugh, or _fly_ away as _fast_ as he _possibly_ could.

"Mizz Izzy, where should we put dese left overs? We has to save some for Mizz Sarah and the Prince sense they couldn't be here," A goblin wearing a red fez asked the mixed blood girl. She herself appeared elf and human at this distance She wore blue gray pants, a turquoise top, and a giant clothespin on her nose.

She looked down at the goblin and smiling.

"Just put them in the freezer Keapy," She pointed to Hoggle's shack; which Jareth now noted wasn't the only shack here anymore.

Not far from the main shack were lots of nice neat little houses. They were all identical in shape; one door, no windows, just large enough for maybe two or three small goblins to lay down in. Each of them appeared to had been 'decorated' by the owner, and each of the huts spotted some combination of hand prints, misspelled names, and other unidentifiable brown-gray blobs.

"They's gona be so suprizid when they are here tomorrow! We's cleaned it all's up!" Keapy cried. "I's going to put it away now!" The goblin took off to the shack. The mixed-blood smiled.

 _Sarah. How have you managed this?_ He wondered, then snorted to himself. _It will all fall apart. The way everything always does in this cursed land._

"As soon as you're done with your section it's time for bed!" The mixed-blood 'Miss Izzy' called out.

The goblins let out a near simultaneous "Awwwwww."

"Miss Sarah will be here in the morning, and don't you want to be well rested for that?" Miss Izzy called out. The goblins let out less audible murmurs of assent, and they started shuffling obediently to their individual huts.

 _How..?_ He shook himself, having seen and smelled quite enough. He flew off back to the castle, and entered via the balcony attached to his room. He felt like doing some paper work, though hell's knew how that came about. He decided he wouldn't, doubting it would put him in a better mood.

He changed and went to bed, where he spent a restless night.

* * *

 **N/A: Firstly, thank you to all my reviewers, thank you for your honest criticism and support. I am aware that good grammar and spelling are nessisary to make a truly good story, and yes I know that makes mine less then the best. I suck when it comes to them. I have a Beta, she is the best, and hopefully I'm improving on my own.  
**

 **Half the reason I'm here on Fanfiction is improve my writing, - the other reason is that just I love writing- So please keep it coming, I really want to know where my flaws are.**

 **Second (This is Important) My next update is going to be late. Long story short I have one final paper to finish before I graduate. Sorry guys school comes first.**

 **Third: A question for you: Would you have preferred to actually seen the conversations with the trolls rather then Sarah just remembering the gist of them? I won't change this chapter, but I would like to know.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

" **Understanding" or if you like, "Perfect for Each Other"**

" – And that's why you should never brew potions in bathroom stalls, but in proper cauldrons under proper supervision, " said Sarah. She closed the story book and then looked up to face the crowd of wide eyed goblins that sat in a semi-circle around her, " and yes, I am willing to help you make your own potions, but it won't be until next month when we get the supplies in."

The goblins let out a near simultaneous; "Awwwww," and one, "I kind of wished Hermy had stayed a cat woman."

"I know, I know, I'll see you guys in three days," Sarah said, smiling fondly. She got up, and opened her arms so the bog goblins could come and get hugs, which they did.

"Bye Mizz SARAH!"

"Bye Boss LADY!"

"Come back Zoon!"

 _God I love my job_ , Sarah thought, waving to the little beings as she headed back towards the portal. It was a little over a two mile walk from the main settlement, the only spot of ground large enough for the portal circle.

"Bye Sarah! Have fun with your family!" Hoggle called out from the door of his house. He wore simple work clothes, and the same kind of magic clothespin over his nose that Sarah was wearing. She had yet to find a way to totally keep out the bogs scent, but the pins did help.

"Bye Hoggle! I'll see you Sunday!" She called back.

"Oh! And good luck with your meeting with that Rupual fellow!"

"Thanks! If you need me here feel free to call!"

Hoggle waved just once more before ducking back inside. Sarah smiled and continued the short walk. Normally she would just take her mirror back home, but she wanted to speak with IzzyLyn before she left, and Izzy preferred to do her paperwork at their above ground base.

Around her the gray green bog gunk made it's memorable farting noises, and an unhappy creature, some cross between a bird and a ferret, fell out of the sky into a gnarled tree; it had been trying to hold its nose and fly at the same time.

Sarah first conjured some milky mist, and formed it into a temporary gas mask. "Here," she sent it to the bird thing, "It will only last an hour, but it will help you get out of here."

The creature looked at it, blinked, then swanked, "Thanks!" and flew off.

Sarah watched it go, turned back towards the portal, and nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Hello Sarah," The Goblin King said. He was leaning his back on one of the largest of the black bog trees, and was wearing a burnt umber leather jacket, thats front was open in a v-shape, showing a bit of chest. His knee-high boots looked to be made of soft black glove leather. His pants... were still Jareth's pants, and Sarah actively didn't allow them to draw her attention. He was smiling his self satisfied smirk. "I've just been touring this lovely little establishment you have here," He gestured to the all around area.

"Hello your Majesty. I certainly wasn't expecting to see you here," Sarah gave him a stiff bow, her eyes narrowing. She herself was wearing dark jeans, a white blouse, and a suit jacket. It was four days after the festival, and she had _really_ been hoping not to see him, ever, if that could be managed.

"I should hope my presents is not unwanted in anyway?" Jareth's smooth yet snide tone indicated that one didn't dare say it was. He stalked forward so they were a little more than an arm's length apart, an auburn cape fluttering behind him.

"That depends on the reason your Majesty feels he must come and tour our operations alone. Surely one of us could have shown you around, to answer any questions you might have?"

His smile told her he thought that was cute, in the most demeaning sense of the word. Sarah found her temper rise, and was aware that she _really_ hadn't slept enough this week.

"I have seen everything I need to see," he said.

"And what did you see?" She asked, feeling a bit of ice creep into her voice, _if you try to brush my work to help your people aside –_

"I think your talents could be better elsewhere," He said, his voice smooth and clipped.

– _I'm going to kill you._ " _Really_? You don't think that bringing aid and prosperity to the suffering of your people is a worthy goal?"

"These people are criminals, like runners, they deserved what they get," Jareth replied.

"Oh, I see," Sarah's voice became even colder, "You know your Majesty, I've been thinking since our last discussion, and it occurred to me that, given the current attitude in the Aboveground towards all things magical, – which is that magic and the fae themselves are nothing more than stories, – most if not _all_ of those who do wish away their children, do it on _accident_ , and therefore aren't quite so deserving of your harsh treatment."

Jareth gave a bark of laughter, "And here I though petty attempts to justify your actions were beneath you," He grinned at her, "You and the dwarf are well suited for each other."

Sarah's teeth clenched. _This man is never going to listen to anything that disagrees with his view of the world,_ A practical voice told her, _All he will ever do look down on everything for not being as privileged as he is. Back down, it's not worth it._

Another voice said she would rather go to hell then let this self absorbed prick come down here just to trample on her, her work, and, oh yes, _his own people._

"It is little wonder Hoggle's so afraid to try anything, you wouldn't even let him settle down to be a nice _ordinary_ gardener like he wanted, every time he had his heart into something, _someone_ has twisted or ripped it from him."

"I _also_ notice your Majesty uses the act of demeaning people an awful lot to justify your opinions and actions," Sarah's voice was reaching truly arctic levels. "I wonder if you have any _real_ justifications for the abusive manner you treat your subjects; Or those poor souls that have been _raised_ to believe magic isn't real, and then _accidentally_ say something wrong, something they would have _literally_ no way of knowing will _actually_ wish away their siblings, or their young children; other than that it seems to give you _pleasure._ "

Jareth's smirk was gone, and his eyes had narrowed.

She stared back at him unflinching, "I really _do_ wonder. I wonder if you have ever tried to make a true difference in your career; something that _really_ helps your people, raising their lives to new heights, winning you a place among the truly great kings of the ages. The kings that everyone looks back on for centuries and can say they were a good king. Such as Thingol, Caspian The Tenth, and Kazul. I seem to remember reading somewhere that there was a time you _did_ seem to care, something you did a hundred or so years ago. What happened to you?"

Jareth's voice was like cold silk, and he began to circle her like a predator, "You have always been so beautifully _bold._ To speak to me in such manner inside my own realm, you _dare_ challenge my ability, and therefore my _right_ to rule. You come here on to my soil and _dare_ question my own loyalty to my subjects,"

Sarah had turned as he circled, so she could face him. Together they had gone around ninety degrees; here Jareth stopped, head held high, arms crossed in front of him. "But perhaps in your reading you have missed or forgotten the state of this land _before_ I came to power. My family has owned this land for generations uncounted," He gestured with both arms to the bog and Labyrinth around them, then not seeming to feel it import to look directly at her while talking, took a few steps away to survey his land better, clasping his hands behind him.

"Both my elder brothers ran away to the Aboveground to escape the throne, the elder marrying into some elvish crown several hundred years ago, the other ran away when he was eleven, and ended up finding his way into some rich pure-blooded family of wizards." He turned back to her, and held up a finger, "But it goes back further; I had an aunt who, rather than take up this crown conquered another with her wintery magic," Jareth smirked, "Only to have it taken back by the previous ruler a Spirit Lion and his human champions.

The Goblin Kingdom was _nothing_ in the eyes of other nations until I came to power. I nobly placed myself on the altar, choosing to take up a mantle _no one_ else wanted. It was through my rule, my vigilance that this kingdom is what it is today. Respected among the nations and the High Council of the Underground. _I_ won us the seat we now have, next to countries like Amestris and Xing," He had moved closer to Sarah as he talked, and here his voice dropped lower, "and you dare doubt I love my land, and my people." Jareth's eyes were hard as flint, is voice as deep and cold as tundra.

Sarah took a long breath, and said, calmly and a little quietly, "I do not say that you have never done, or accomplished many _truly_ commendable things," another steadying breath, "Only that, recently, you have become lax. I have yet to hear of one truly remarkable, or even remotely interesting thing the greatest Mage of this millennium has done in the last ten years, and even if you did that doesn't justify your treatment of wishers, or of Hoggle, or anyone else you have outcast to this bog, forcing it on them like a kind of social _branding."_

The saddest part of all this was that Jareth honestly did believe he was a good King, or at least Sarah thought he did. He believed that because of all the good things he had done in the past somehow made any bad things he did totally forgivable, or just a non-issue entirely. Sarah remembered from her reading of Underground history when she was sixteen and seventeen, that Jareth had brought this Kingdom out of obscurity; through his magical prowess, and there had been something about closing off trade routs until certain demands were met. He had been a good king once.

Jareth's eyes narrowed further, and a light kindled behind his eyes. Sarah stared back.

After a certain point, people had stopped questioning his actions. They just accepted him as who he was, and either dealt with him or they didn't. He was Jareth, Lord of the Labyrinth and Goblin King, titles that were respected because he had won that respect, oh, and how could he have forgotten? He was hailed the _Greatest Mage of this Millennium_. All that being said... somewhere in the back of his mind Sarah's words had registered, and the accusations were not unfounded, almost all hit a weak or sour point, shaking the foundations of his perceptions.

In the forefront of his mind, his pride did its best to shield him from that. What did she _really_ know? This little human girl? He. Was. The. Goblin. King. And he was done with this discussion.

* * *

Sarah's eyes narrowed further when he conjured one of his smooth glass spheres.

"Goodbye Miss Williams," with a flick of his wrist Jareth sent the orb at her. She jumped, and tried to dodge on instinct; but he was too close and it connected with her head.

The floating feeling of a transportation spell lasted for just a second before the survival instinct kicked in. Sarah didn't question the odds of her winning against the greatest mage of this millennium; She just focused all her will on one thought and one goal: _Stay here_.

Her magic met his, and the two forces of will met in a mental _crash_ , grinding against each other. For a moment Sarah's body was lost in some place between the Bog, and the dark place Jareth was trying to force her to. Both powers stayed strong, Sarah and Jareth's wills seeming equal; then the tide turned.

* * *

Jareth wasn't sure what _brilliant_ part of him had thought Sarah would just allow him to toss her in an oubliette, where she would sit until she was humbled, or he was ready to deal with her, but he was going to have some words with himself later.

* * *

Sarah rematerialized back at the bog, and didn't even think. All her magic and body force went into her strike, and her fist connected his head with a _crack_ , that sent him flying backwards. Narcissism was one thing, assault and unlawful imprisonment was a whole other level.

The King slammed into the tree and mud behind him. All she got out was: "What is wrong with – !" Before Jareth's hand flew out, and the ground lurched up underneath her. She went down with a cry, tumbling straight for the bog's noxious ooze. She summoned her milky mist over the shore line and green muck, which she was _going to hit_ – The mist formed a layer of pure ice, acting as a barrier between her and social death.

Jareth was getting up; his fine clothes and blond hair were splattered with mud, giving him a wild and dangerous look. Sarah sent cords of her mist flying at him, transforming into hard chains as they went.

Jareth, whose eye's seemed a bit wide, formed a crystal shield around himself and the patch of ground he stood on. Sarah's chains wrapped around it, attempting to crush the orb.

She scrambled off the ice. Jareth waved his hands and a long green vine leaped up to grabbing her arm and yanking her down. She willed the liquid inside it to freeze, at the same time making her chains into water, that coated Jareth's shield and then froze. She hoped it would shatter it, the way she shattered the frozen vine from her arm. She got up.

Jareth's crystal glowed a hot red, melting her ice. Sarah's brain started to panic as she assessed things. She had to end this, _fast._ She had _no_ combat training, just an instinct that she had to beat him inside the next few moments if she was ever going to have any chance of winning; and if she _didn't_ win, some unknown power would destroy _everything_ she ever loved and worked for.

He was inside his shield. There was the tree and the bog right behind him... The plants the mud... Somewhere in the back of her mind a voice said: _Wait! we need stop and think about this! Violence – !_ It was blocked out as Sarah saw her opening.

She grit her teeth and brought her hands together in a clap, before bringing them down to the ground with force. Her magic _shuddered_ through the ground, as she made the mud under Jareth's feet open under him, sucking him down to where only his head and arms were visible. Running forward, she focused her mind on forming her mist into a sword, which she swung full force at Jareth's shield. She had to _end_ this.

* * *

Jareth focused his magic on making the mud push him up, to get himself free; and it wasn't working. Sarah's magic held him, and he, whose magic and willpower were renowned through out every country couldn't get out. True, he hadn't done much with magic for... a while, and he hadn't had any _big_ projects to put his mind to for the last couple years... So maybe he was a _little_ out of practice –

Sarah lunged forward, a shining sword forming in her hand as she went. The sword solidified, she swung at his shield, and it _shattered_ around him. Vines that she controlled lashed only second afterwards, _wrenching_ his arms out straight to either side of him. Making absolutely sure he couldn't move. He looked up at Sarah.

Her face was a mask of contempt and disgust, her emerald eyes staring merciless down at him. She looked down at him like he was the filthiest, most repulsive, and oddly, most disappointing creature she had ever seen in her life, like he belonged in a gutter somewhere.

He looked at her, and saw himself; a terrifying, powerful being, that felt no mercy towards their victim. That was what he was. _How_ he knew that, he wasn't sure, only that he did, and he knew he had given that same pitiless look to many beings over the decades.

Goblin Kings heart went very cold.

* * *

They stood like that for what seemed hours. Him buried up to his shoulders, arms tied and pulled apart, Sarah standing over sword in hand, her will and magic holding the Goblin King down.

 _Ummmm._ Said the less passionate parts of Sarah's brain, finally reaching the forefront, _I think we might have gone above and beyond self defense... You do realize that if The Goblin King chose to take legal action it would go straight the High Court. We might have had a case, until we didn't stop at self defense, going to brutal and unnecessary violent against one of High Courts more valuable assets in case of crisis. Someone they need a whole lot more then they need a dangerous human mage._

Sarah felt her blood start to ran cold.

 _I believe the proper reactions is: "Oh Shit..."_

* * *

 **This Chapter is Dedicated to all the abused Sarah's in the world, trapped beneath God like Jareth's rule. There is Hope for you, Stand up, Get out, Don't take no Shit. Jareth is a man: Not a God whose whims must be met.**

 **If you are an abused or mistreated Sarah: Call our hotline Now operators are standing by to get you Fast Effective Help.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Aftermath

 _I believe the proper reactions is: "Oh shit..."_

"There is a place," Sarah stated. Her breath was heavy and a little unsteady, but otherwise her voice was even. "A restaurant in my home town in Nyack, New York, called Mary's Place. I think it would be profitable for both of us to have a civil meeting there, on neutral ground." _Here is to spur of the moment plans._

She stepped back, and let him up. His clothes were so coated in dark mud, making their original colors indistinguishable. He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were wide as he stared at her. "I will certainly be there."

"One week from today, in the evening, six sharp," She said sounding remarkably calm under the circumstances.

Jareth nodded, then, with a twirl of his cape, turned into an owl and flew off. As soon enough he was out of sight, Sarah staggered, feeling little light headed. _Oh Jesus..._

She shook herself, attempting to calm her harried nerves, then ran to the portal as fast as her shocked system allowed. As soon as she had pushed herself through to the Aboveground, Sarah collapsed on to the cool stone, and just laid there, allowing her breath to calm, and the shaking to stop. For a moment she thought she might barf, and rolled on to her side; she watched her sweat drip off, panted a bit, but nothing came. _Oh god..._

Jareth had been in his room for some time now. He had taken off his filthy clothes in his bathroom, and now stood leaning over the sink; arms braced on the counter in front of him. He went back and forth between staring into the basin, and glancing at his thin face in the mirror. His breathing was unsteady, all confidence shattered.

Looking back it all seemed painfully obvious. How could he have missed it? How did he fail to see where his decisions would take him?

Jareth had always prided himself on being very honest; he took special satisfaction in calling people out on their inaccurate views, forcing to them wake up from there self-built delusions. The looks of horror and shock that sometimes crossed their faces were priceless, and it wasn't _that_ wrong, because in the end he was doing everyone a favor, by helping enlightenment spread through the Underground. After all, "Things are as they are." "What's done is done is done." "What's said is said." And you should accept that.

It was his turn to wake up now; somewhere he could hear all the people he had watched go through those often painful realizations laughing at him.

This was the truth about himself:

For the last seven to eight years he had been steadily descending into a slothful, discontented, self serving, and self-destructive funk. He had taken out his anger and discontent on an old dwarf, runners, family members, and his own people. During the last three years he had even stopped trying to rule his country, and exercised little to no self discipline on himself. This was the outcome:

A twenty some year old mage could have killed him. He wasn't happy with his life, he felt filthy and wrong all the time, a feeling he finally understood the roots of. Somewhere inside he had known he was becoming a monster, but he had buried it, and if Sarah hadn't stood up to him, and literally knocked him down, it would almost surely still be buried.

 _One cannot help wonder what that says about me_ , he thought disgusted with himself.

For a moment, standing here sweating and nude, it felt like he couldn't go on, that he had fallen too far this time. The walls of his delusions seemed like shattered glass left to cut deeper into him. How could he ever get up from this?

He sucked in a long breath, and his hands clenched into fits on the counter top. _This is nonsense_. He allowed his face to become a confident mask. He knew perfectly well what to do.

 **N/A First of all thanks to all my reviewer and followers. I really appreciate all your comments, both criticism and praise. Please keep them coming. Thank you all.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **No Sleep**

Sarah still felt shaken when she got back to her apartment. She showered the sweat and mud off, then changed into what in the above ground would be considered a vintage sundress from the fifties, but was the latest fashion in the Underground. By the time she was finished curling her hair, Sarah was reasonably calm, and could think clearly.

Through some miracle of forethought, she had arranged a meeting next week. She was going to have to rearrange her plans because of it, but that could be done. The main thing she had to do was make her plan of attack, determine how to pacify Jareth without losing her own integrity. Setting herself up as anything _but_ his equal would be a disaster. If she could get him to see her as someone worth respecting she had a chance. What did Jareth respect?

Going off what she knew, there was: power, ambition, confidence, and commitment. She could showcase those qualities. And what if she had an offer she could give him? A solid reason not to continue to attack her and her business? Trade was always good, trafficking Aboveground items into the Underground had been more of a long term goal, but it could _technically_ be moved up... if they were willing to put some of their expansions on hold, hire more people, and if she dropped out of school –

 _No!_ Her inner ambition flared up, _Don't you_ **Dare.** _We've come too far for us to quit. This is our dream, our life and our time, we deserve to at least finish school... especially since we gave up on being the valedictorian..._ a small lump of sadness formed as she remembered that.

Sarah sighed, then her resolve hardened; no, she wasn't going to drop out, there had to be another way.

She slipped on a pair of flats, picked up the invention Rupual and given her, and went to the mirror in her living room. The invention acted as a key, once placed on the portal mirror, it opened the way to a sunny garden path. Through mirror she saw Rupual and Princess Beatrice turn to see where she was about to enter.

She took a breath and stepped through into the afternoon sunshine, attempting to push thoughts of Jareth to the back of her mind. _Time for business._

Sarah stepped out through another mirror – this one attached to the garden wall – into the fresh air.

She was greeted by Rupual, followed by the Princess, and they exchanged pleasantries. They headed towards a fine silver pavilion in the center of the of green.

It was a lovely venue: the garden sat atop a hill that provided a stunning view of the mountains to the north, and other than a few huge oak trees and four white fountains, all at parallel distance from one of the pavilions corners, it was very open. Normally she would have enjoyed it, if she wasn't feeling quite so emotionally and physically drained, and a hollow feeling was forming in her chest. _It will all be fine,_ Maybe she would nap when she got home, relax for a while.

"So Miss Williams, if you do not mind my asking, is there any young man to share your business and success with?" Beatrice's asked, her voice was deep and polished, rather reminiscent of a pipe organ.

"No, not right now. I separated from the last man I was with about three years ago. Since then I haven't had the time for other relationship." Sarah gave the basic answer. Her head wasn't really in the game right now.

That led them to a conversation about Carl, and men in general. Yes, Carl and Sarah were still on good terms, but he didn't do long distance relationships.

Her Highness politely declined to say who she liked, man or woman, but did dispense friendly teasing to Rupual, who had a known lover in Lord Heljen. Apparently they were utterly inseparable and adorable together.

This trend got them sitting down with tea and tiny sandwiches. They all sipped and chewed comfortably for a moment, and then her Highness spoke: "So, Miss Williams, I take it most of your acquaintances and family live in the Aboveground?"

"Yes your Highness, as far as I know I'm the only mage in my family. I don't even know exactly where my powers come from," Sarah replied before taking a bite of her sandwich. It was quite good.

"Running that monster's Labyrinth is renowned for having unexpected effects on people. Have you spent much time in the Underground since you came into your power?" Beatrice said.

"No, your highness." Sarah shook her head.

"A pity. You should spend more time down here among us; learn culture, see what there is to see. It would be such a shame for you to spend all your time up there or in The Land of Stench. All work and no play-" Beatrice said teasingly.

"My work is very important," Sarah objected. Why couldn't people understand that?

"Yes Sarah, we know," Rupual placated, "But you deserve some time to yourself."

 _Oh okay, nothing to get upset about. Just nerves... Stay calm and keep your head..._ Sarah rallied herself.

"You need to slow down. Come and visit Rupual and his lover, I'm sure they would love to have you; and of course you should come visit me. You really shouldn't miss the _culture,_ " Beatrice agreed.

"Rupual has already been very kind in helping me understand your culture," Sarah saw an opening to get business done and took it, "I find I am fascinated by the Marred mines."

"Ah yes, with its holes where you can fall into space," Beatrice grinned, showing her large white teeth "They say that at night, or in unlit places, the undead corpse of miners rise up and walk the halls. Their skin is a rotten green. They go about moaning, and hunting down the unsuspecting."

Sarah smiled mischievously back, "Their skeletons also rise up, riding huge spiders as big as a man," She turned serious, plunging head first into probably the most controversial topic you could bring up with a Troll. "What actually fascinates me the most is the the miners themselves. I hear there had been a good deal of debate about them over the last few years."

"That is true," Beatrice said with a little bit of s sigh, and a wave of a hand, "The issues and problems there go back hundreds of years."

"I am aware of that," Sarah continued on, glad Beatrice wasn't going on the defensive. Rupual stayed quiet. "What I have been wondering is why not just install protection spells and safety charms? From all I hear even the most _basic_ would solve many problems."

"My Uncle and Lady Falvek care only about profits. They are as cheap as they come, and do not care about bad press." Beatrice said stiffly.

 _Probably an over simplification, at least I hope it is. Do people really work like that?_ "How much do they lose from having their work force constantly diminishing? Besides, don't healthier workers mine more ore? I cannot imagine how _anyone_ could say that having that high a death toll is an intelligent business decision, let alone morally right."

Rupual nodded, "I must agree with her your highness. Miss Williams is full of ideas and plans that would make sure the right thing is done for all Trollish citizens, both morally and financially. However," here he turned to Sarah, "Only members of the Kings household are admitted to speak with the Lord and Lady of the mines, and even then they need the lord and lady's personal seal to gain admittance to speak with them about the mines."

Sarah frowned. It did further explain how the mines continued the way they did for hundreds of years. _But_ still _what self absorbed, power tripping_ bureaucrat _made such a rule? And why on_ earth _was it allowed by the rest of the troll government?... Oh right, probably because said bureaucrat had all the iron._

"Do we know anyone who they would admit?" Sarah asked, look hopefully towards Beatrice.

"My Uncle and I are not on the best of terms," Beatrice said frowning, "We had a rather heated disagreement only last week."

"And they would never admit me," Rupual said regretfully.

Beatrice seemed to think for a moment, "I do not know of anyone who we could get to do it that could also convince them. Unless," Her tone changed to something more delicate and persuasive, "Unless, Miss Sarah, _you_ were willing to do it?"

Sarah brain short-circuited for split second – the only people who could talk to them were members of the kings household, and to become part of the a King's household was to swear your life, and often the lives of your children, to serve that king's family forever. Her brain decided it was officially _done_ taking in new, possibly life changing concepts. "I don't understand," was all she managed.

Rupual's face had already lit up, "A new face. That might catch their curiosity, especially someone who has become successful so young."

Sarah's brain took that information in, wishing it actually could go on strike.

Rupual continued: "If I know anyone who could do it, Sarah –"

" _Peace_ ," Beatrice cut over him with a tone full of disdain, "Can't you see her mind working? You move to fast."

"Thank you," Sarah said, buying time for her to find something to actually say.

"Forgive me," Rupual said.

"It's fine," Sarah said, _Think, think, think_ , _and make sure you aren't jumping to conclusions..._ "It's just such a large proposal. I take it that you suggesting I become part of the Kings household?"

"Yes," Beatrice nodded, "Forgive me, I would not wish to burden you. Sometimes it seems certain people are in the perfect position to cause change. You could make a stir easier then most of us; everything Lord Rupual does is seen as a grab for attention and power, because of his families reputation, and everything I do is similarly picked apart. You are new to this scene, and, one might say you are _untainted_ by your ancestors bad press."

Sarah nodded, and spoke very carefully, "I understand you, but I need to think on this."

"Of course," said Rupual, a little too quickly, and overly understanding. Beatrice shushed him. But could Sarah really blame him for being so eager to relieve suffering and save lives? What on earth could be wrong with that?

Sarah got up, "Would it be alright if I went home and thought about this? Rupual has my phone number and knows how to reach me."

"Yes, yes," Beatrice rose, "Go home and rest. You look half dead."

"Thank you your highness." Sarah curtsied, Rupual got up and kissed her hand.

"I hope we see you soon Sarah." he said.

Sarah left them.

As she walked back to the mirror something nagged at the back of Sarah's mind. She couldn't pinpoint it right off, but something was _off._

She got home, pulled out her overnight stuitcaise, and started packing for her overnight trip to her father's house.

The first thing that came to mind was: _Why does this_ have _to be me? That seems like it's going a little too far?_ Surely _there is someone else who the Lord and Lady would admit that would be willing to give my, -our- arguments, or at least some way other then having me commit to serve the troll King for life. In fact I probably should have told them that..._ She wasn't sure why by the whole thing about her being some kind of savior just seems too... _cheesy..._

Alright, that couldn't count as an actually legitimate complaint, but _still._ _Clearly trolls of high rank care about this, and it is_ their _country; they are chiefly responsible for it, in a way Goblins_ can't _be._

In many ways Goblins were still the human children they had been created from, since thay lacked the maturity to really look after themselves. Trolls had been born out of... _rocks? and had like, hard wood hearts or something?_ Sarah didn't really remember, Carl had told her once, either way the point was Trolls _actually_ grew up and became responsible adults; Sarah was more then willing to _help_ them... but not give her _life_ to them.

That was just too much... right?

Her brain unhelpfully did some math. _If_ o _ver twenty eight people died every week, then wouldn't about a thousand three hundred and some trolls die every year?_

Sarah did not sleep well that night.

The next morning Sarah drove to her she childhood home in Nyack, spending the whole drive wondering about Trolls, Jareth, School, The Bog, and questions concerning the worth of a living soul.

She arrived feeling utterly worn out. Seven-year-old Toby didn't really notice, chattering happily away when they went to the park and played spy cars in his room, but her Father and Stepmother did. After Toby went to bed, they all sat in the living room. Sarah told them how she had an argument with their main operations landlord, and how she she was going to try to patch things up. Talking felt good. Somehow it seemed to lift some of the wight off her shoulders.

"Here is what you do," Irene said gently, her arm resting on her step daughters shoulder. "Tell him you are sorry for losing your temper, you were offended by his comments, and that you hope you can move past it as business partners. You don't have to give him anything more, not more money, not part of your business; cut _all_ those ideas out right now. From what I'm hearing it sounds like you don't owe him anything more then a sincere apology, and the fact that you're meeting him for a private dinner to make your apology speaks volumes in the sincerity department. You'll be fine."

"Yes, you can't let anyone walk on you Sarah. You have rights and needs that should be taken into account." Her father, Robert Williams said, smiling fondly, "You're a strong young woman Sarah, but it looks like you could use some sleep."

" _Yes,_ for god's sake take a break off work and go to sleep, tomorrow I'm taking you shopping," Irene said. She had always been a in-charge kind of woman, something Sarah could be very thankful for; she really did need a break, and Irene made her have one. Sarah went upstairs to her old room, downed a sleeping potion, and fell soundly asleep in the guest bed that had replaced her old one. _God thank you for my family,_ She thought as she fell into a deep sleep.

Unfortunately, they didn't go shopping the next morning, Robert woke her about ten AM telling her Izzylyn was on the phone for her.

"Hey Sarah? Look I really hate to bother you, but you really need to get down here. Hoggle's been fired."

…

…

...

"Sarah?" Izzylyn asked.

"I'll be there," Sarah's voice was calm, too calm, while her hands shook. _Alright, you can do this, just breathe and move on._ She took a long breath, "I'll be there as soon as I can, see you Izzy."

"Thank god for you Sarah, glad you can make it."

Sarah hung up, then turned to tell her family that her plant manager had just walked out.

They gave her hugs, told her not to work too hard, come back and see them. Sarah gave reassurances, and smiled, then got into her car and drove to the next town over. She felt... she felt a sort of calm nothing. She drove, and not really anything else. Everytime she thought about what she had just heard over the phone her mind to say: _Hoggle's fired. Okay, I suppose we have to go do something... Fancy that... huh... I really should care more them I seem to... Oh well._ She reached the next town, stopped at the first restaurant she saw, and used its bathroom mirror to take her to the Prince of the Land of Stench's residence.

 **A/N Hey guys! Thanks for all your reviews! keep them coming, good, bad, different, I want to know so I can improve.**

 **Because you guys are such good sports, I'm going to give you an exclusive look into how I write my work:**

 **Step one: Add One Sarah,**

 **Step two: Implement Murphy's law.**

 **Step three: Have Jareth go through a live changing crisis off screen.**

 **Step four: Fill all remaining backgrounds with as many funny and nerdy references as possible.**

 **Step five: Laugh for a while about how you are the only one that knows how it's all going to end.**

 **Step six: Start writing and uploading to Fanfiction, and repeat step five.**


	9. Chapter 9 New Changed

**Chapter 9**

 **On a knifes edge.**

"So who is the new Prince of Stench?" Was the first question Izzylyn asked.

She, Sarah, and Hoggle all sat around the dining room table in the Prince of Stench's residence. The mood in the room ought to be more serious, but that was a little hard with everyone wearing clothespins on their noses.

"I don't know, and I don't care," Hoggle replied, "I just got out of there as fast as I could, and went to see what he gave me. I was scared it would be worse than this; though how that's possible I don't know."

"Well, don't we need a Prince of Stench's agreement for some of our programs? Like goblin education, and food distribution?" Izzy asked, looking towards Sarah.

Sarah listened, groaning inwardly. She really was happy for Hoggle, even a bit envious; right now nothing sounded better than settling down in a tiny cottage with nothing more than bushes to care about. She propped her forehead on her hand, staring down at the gray-green wood of the table. "Our agreements with Hoggle ought to still stand, unless the current local authority, – that would be The King in the absence of a Prince or Lord –, cancels them; any new projects we would like to start in the Bog, like the preschool, will have to be authorized by him," she lifted her head out of her hand. "Funny enough I actually have a meeting arranged with his Majesty this coming week. There were some things he wanted to talk about."

"Do you think this was one of them?" Izzy asked.

"I don't know," Sarah said, not caring that she was lying, all she wanted was for someone else to sort things out so she could go home to her family. _But that's not going to happen. You're the one in charge, and the one who got into this trouble with Jareth in the first place. Do what you have to do._ "I'll be sure it gets straightened out at the meeting. I don't see any point in trying to schedule another one any sooner than next week, unless His Majesty changes things any further." _I'm too stressed out right now to do anything that productive, and desperately need a game plan._

Of course the real question was not _if_ there was a new Prince of Stench, but why did His Majesty get rid of the old one? Why now after all these years, did Jareth suddenly at least appear to give Hoggle his dreams?

Sarah mused on this more while helping Hoggle pack, he didn't have too much and could have done it himself, but Sarah had some time to kill while waiting for some of her other business partners to arrive. Some of them were going to act as fill-ins to baby sit the goblins refurbishing, the others to help Sarah come up with a plan to hire a new manager to effectively take Hoggle's place.

At first, the longer she thought about it, the more it didn't make sense, it didn't even seem like something Jareth would do. Hoggle had been the means to bring some semblance of prosperity to the Bog of Eternal Stench, and Jareth didn't seem very concerned with whether his vassal was happy with his position or not. So why fix it if it isn't broken? How did this benefit Jareth?

…

…

There was a quote Sarah couldn't quite remember about how to solve problems, sometimes all you needed was to ask the right questions... When you did...

 _Oh god... you_ _ **idiot**_ _,_ The color drained out of Sarah's face as it hit her like a bucket of cold water.

It was a choke hold. With no middle man in his way, it made it that much easier for Jareth to do _anything_ he wanted to her business. He could charge them any rent rate he wanted, demand the supplies they sent be distributed in places other than the bog, and he would be totally within his rights, they would have to pay up, or shut down, leaving things to revert back to the way they were, only with her and her friends shouldering their company's debt, as well as their own college debt...

For a second everything seemed to close down around her in an awful fog.

 _Damn you. Just damn you... Your Majesty, I will kill you before I let to take this away from me..._

She was trembling, the awful fog cleared into cold rage. _It's not – Oh, damn you._

She took a deep breath, then finished packing, releasing a steady stream of cussing under her breath the entire time.

For the rest of the week the Bog and their Refurbishing Company, _Eman Ysatnf,_ was run by Sarah, Izzylyn, and a few other girls pulled from their store fronts; Alaska, Jinx, Sharon, and Hoggle's temporary replacement Susan, a gem of an old English woman, who had had her own adventures in the underground when she was a teenager.

They all worked overtime shifts babysitting the bog goblins while they fixed furniture, making sure things went smoothly on the production end of things, read them stories, and got them to bed in the evenings.

The stress only got worse; they were out bid for the new store front they were planning, the entire company seemed to be working overtime, whether or not they should be launching an ad campaign was called under question given current events, and then of course there was Sarah's never ending inner reel of questions and worries: _How am I going to deal with_ _Jareth? What does Jareth ultimately want out of this? God this place smells, who in all the Above and Below would take this job? And; Oh by the way aren't miners dying everyday you don't give up your life to save them?_

 _I wonder if Irene ever went to store and got that blouse she wanted..._

It was awful.

* * *

 **A/N: Is there anyone else who doesn't want to wait another chapter for Sarah and Jareth's meeting?**

 **I thought so.**

* * *

 **Mary's Place**

 **– Dinner and Dance –**

It was 6:02 pm in Nyack Main, on a Thursday in early July. In the parking lot of Mary's Place, a young, dark haired woman stood leaning against her car. She on the lookout for someone important, and dressed to the nines to meet them. Her make up was perfect, with deep red lips and smooth, perfectly shaped fingernails. She wore a red knee length dress, with a matching suit jacket covering both the spaghetti straps and her shoulders.

At 6:04 Sarah heard footsteps, and straightened to see her companion. Jareth wore a gray renaissance shirt under a wine purple vest thats tall, curling collar was speckled with white gems. He smiled.

Sarah's face was utterly calm, "Your Majesty," she gave him a stiff, formal curtsy.

"Miss Sarah Williams," he gave a shallow bow back, he glanced at the restaurant, a red and white building that looked distinguished without being pretentious, "so kind of you to invite me."

"How kind of you to come," she replied, "Our reservations are for 6:05, so I must ask that we head in."

"Of course," Jareth offered his arm.

Sarah took it.

Mary's Place was more of a supper club then a restaurant, the majority of the floor was taken up by a hard wood dance floor, ringed by tables and private booths. Sarah had deliberately gotten them a table on the edge of the dance floor, mostly because she felt saver out in the open, and it was cheaper then a booth.

They were seated by a sharply dressed young woman, given menus and glasses of water. Sarah drank, in an attempt to buy time. The fact was she had no idea how she was supposed to start this conversation, she didn't dare offend him more, and didn't dare be submissive, and didn't know where the line was between the two when it came to dealing with Jareth. "So, your Majesty, you have been making changes in your bog again."

"Yes, I thought it would be good for poor Hoggle to have a good retirement."

"Really? That was your motivation?" Sarah asked and couldn't help the sarcasm in her voice.

"Yes," He said, as if challenging her to call him out on a blatant falsehood, "and part of the reason I came here is to ask what you personally thought of sir Dyddimus as Headwrok's replacement."

Sarah's frown deepened, _Huh? Wait where was this coming from? And what did Dyddimus have to do with anything?_ She hadn't seen the fox in...

He looked Sarah straight in the eye, and continued, "I hope you will take this as part of my apology, for instigating that little fight we had just last week. I realize I acted rashly."

 _What..._

That was not what Sarah had been expecting from Jareth. He was selfish, petty, full of himself, intelligent, powerful... Sarah's eye's narrowed.

She didn't know what he was trying to pull, it had to be some kind of move, but she had pretty much had it with this fae, his mind games, this awful week, and with dealing with was either PMS or UST when ever he was around. Her voice went cold, "It would have been better received if you have given us some warning before you moved him, and left us one man down. As it is your move has cost myself and my employee's a great deal of _grief_ covering for him, not to mention our company money spent in overtime wages. It was a rather _unpleasant_ shock to our system, since he did so much to help run our production lines. We had to pull people from our store fronts to cover for him, and then call in people to cover them."

Jareth seemed to consider a moment, then with a flick of the wrist, as if it was nothing."I am willing to cover your expenses, if you are willing to brush this _little_ matter aside."

Sarah's eyes widened, took in exactly what he was saying, realized what he was trying to do, and promptly cracked up.

He was trying to cover his own ass. All the stress, grief, and anxiety, and that was what this was coming down to. She had to laugh, otherwise she would have killed something. Though on a more interesting note, it also meant he saw her as being a threat to him. She would have to think on that.

* * *

To say Jareth had not been looking forward to this meeting was probably the understatement of the century.

He had once been told that people who were willing to admit they were wrong were perceived as stronger, by those around them, who ever said this was _clearly_ not a politician. Over the year Jareth had watched different rulers and officials be ripped apart for admitting their mistakes, it was lesson number one, next to never let them see you sweat. In order to survive in politics, you either had to be perfect, or act like you were.

With that in mind, he had insulted and assaulted Miss Sarah Williams, a beautiful, intelligent, and powerful young woman, and should that ever get out it would make a rather large crack in his facade of perfection.

He couldn't crush her, and he couldn't brush her aside where she would be quite like he had Hoggle, but given she was intelligent, and ambitious, he had a chance to repair this before it got out of hand.

So far Sarah had been professional, on the offensive, but calm and mature.

Then she busted up laughing.

"Is something funny?" He asked, eyes narrowing, he didn't know what on earth she was trying to pull, but he did not appreciate it.

She calmed herself after _several_ long breaths, "Forgive me it was an inside joke, you would have to have been there to understand."

"Really? Why don't try you me." He said dryly.

Sarah sobered, "It really is nothing, I did not mean to offend. Only," She hesitated, "I find your request funny."

"I do not find it funny." He said.

"I didn't think you would."

"Shall we get back to the business at hand? Or do you have more?" He asked.

Sarah frowned slightly, her voice becoming crisp, "I'm fine, thank you. Please go on, you were talking about us sweeping this whole _assault_ matter aside?"

"I am willing to pay all your unexpected expenses, with my apologies, and personal compensation for any grief and pain I may have caused you." He said it, straight faced calm and smooth as ever, inside it felt something like having his toenails pulled out. _I was the right thing to do,_ He told himself, _It will help me in the long run..._

Sarah leaned back in her chair to consider, and then picked up her menu, "You will allow me a moment to consider this. The waitress will be back soon, we should probably find out what we want."

"Of course, take all the time you need Sarah." Jareth made his voice low and sweet, wanting to draw her in, as he himself picked up his menu.

* * *

On the one hand, going just by how Jareth was behaving, Sarah had a better chance than she thought of this doing damage to him in some way, she could stick up for justice, call him out to the world and refuse to budge. It would definitely be the more conventionally morally thing to do.

But on the other hand, Jareth was offering a pretty good bribe, those bills had to be paid, and the less that came out of their companies pockets, the further forward they could move. She couldn't help but wonder if she could push him further on this if that was his opening deal.

She thought this over while looking over Mary's Place wine selection. What could she get from him? What did she want?

A second after asking herself, she regretted it, and told her hormones to _shut up_ , because they were _idiots,_ an _awful_ judge of character.

Then she rephrased her question, _what does the_ company _need?_

 _Her hormones weren't interested, Why do things have to be this way?... he's so_ _ **pretty...**_ _and smart, and pretty, and powerful. But in a different way from the way Carl was powerful, Carl was big and a true hunk, who could get away with yelling out orders and everybody listed to him. Jareth is kind of effortless, smooth, he just walks in and you know he is somebody._

Her practical side as not amused, _Ahem, as I was saying: What does the company need?_

 _Time off from work, and very possibly a warm body to curl around_. Was the first answer.

 _No._

 _Fine. The company needs more people from a magical background that are willing to do the work in the bog, we pulled pretty much everyone we could from our store fronts. We also need to remain on good terms with our landlord, good enough that either we, or our successor depending on what ever happens with the Trolls, can deal with him, and get positive results._

The waitress arrived just as Sarah finished deicing her food. She would have the T-bone steak, champagne, and a salad.

Jareth had the same. He told her after the waitress was gone:"I must admit I am unfamiliar with the names of the foods above ground, and I trust your taste."

* * *

Sarah was quiet for a minute after the waitress left, her eyes drifted between Jareth, the dance floor, and the table.

Finally, she spoke, "I think Dyddimus would do well as Prince of the Land of Stench, mostly because he would actually enjoy the position, and demand a respect for it. To most everyone, to be given rule of your bog would be seen as a punishment, and would hate it but he would be honored, and really give it his all," She said looking back to him, "As to our _little_ fight, I am willing to brush the matter under the table. But I want all our overtime fees payed, I want your word that Dyddimus will be Prince of Stench," She hesitated, "As far as personal compensation... You will owe me a favor for this, anything that is in your power to give, that I can call in at any time, and I want you to keep your hands off my business, you stay out of it, and don't try to mess with our policies. I want your word, and your seal, and I want it all in writing."

Jareth considered that, most of it he could care less about, but a favor was a tall order, especially with his binding seal involved. For a moment he considered, then spoke, "For your favor you cannot ask for my Kingdom, or any part of my Kingdom to have as your own, and I must have your absolute word and signature that you will be silent about this. Nothing can _ever_ get out, Sarah. Have you told anyone of this?"

Sarah's face had again turned to stone while he was talking, "No, I have not."

"Good, other than the conditions I have just asked, I am satisfied with your terms." He said.

Sarah gave a nod, "Then I believe we have come to an agreement."

Perhaps in another world this never would have happened, and he and Sarah would be less cold to each other. In an other world their ambitions would have brought them closer, not here, not like this. That was Jareth's one consolation in all this, that maybe somewhere things were different, because here in the low light, with soft music playing, Sarah sat like a goddess destined for greatness. A goddess he would never touch.

* * *

 **N/A Hey, yeah I know, I already posted chapter nine, but after looking it over I didn't like it, so I changed it. My fic my rules. Sorry updates haven't been as regular as I would have liked. Long story short I am going to college soon, it will only get worse, and there is very little I can do about it. I will try to post twice a month from here on out. Thank you for all your support, keep it coming.  
**

 **Also if anyone can think of a better blurb for start of my story I am willing to give them a prize, I will mention you, or give you spoilers if that is your thing.**

 **-RWB**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **What Love Is. Or Take your time.**

The appropriate legal documents had been summoned from the goblin kingdom, and Jareth and Sarah had both picked over them with a fine tooth comb to make sure the other hadn't tried to pull anything. Fortunately neither of them had. Part way through this process their salads arrived. As soon as the documents were finished, they were copied via magic so both Jareth and Sarah could have one. Then the copies had to be gone over to make sure they were also was all above board. Thankfully everything went smoothly.

Sarah put her copy in the bag she had brought, and Jareth simply sent his away. After that there was a comfortable silent while they finally dug into their food, and felt reasonably safe drinking.

"I am curious Sarah," Jareth said, "what are your future plans for your enterprise? This shipping things between the Aboveground and Underground surely has more applications than just in the Bog."Sarah had to swallow before answering, "Expansion has always been a long term goal, but given current events, I'm not sure I cannot say how far in the future that will be."

Jareth was intrigued, and slightly confused, "Has my interference done a very great deal of damage?"

"Yes, but that is not why, it might have but since you are making it right it won't be a problem. There are other factors." Sarah said.

"Really? May I ask what they are." Jareth said.

Sarah stuck her fork into her salad, "You can ask, but I am not inclined to tell you, since it not really your business."

Jareth brow lifted, but he let it sit for the moment, "As you wish." He took a bite, and decided he had had enough strictly business talk, "So Sarah, I am curious, how many people did it take to open your portal to the Aboveground?"

"Just one, I did it." Sarah replied still with that cool edge to her voice.

Jareth gave a nod, he found himself not that surprised. Interesting. "That is quite an impressive feat. Even for a large group of accomplished people, ripping a hole between dimensions is very hard."

"So I am told." she replied.

He decided she could not be blamed for looking just a bit smug about it. He would be. "What made you put in the effort?"

"What do you mean?" Sarah asked, leaning back in her chair.

"What made, or compelled, you to put so much effort into The Bog of Eternal Stench? Surely there are other methods for you to get assistance to them, without having to rip into the fabric of our realities to get there. And why work so much in the Bog itself?" Jareth said. Tell me Sarah, what inspired you so greatly?

Sarah thought about that a moment before replying then gave a small shrug, "I saw an opportunity and I took it. I saw labor, I saw the raw materials, I knew I could get a market for cheap furniture. The benefits outweigh the cost of working with the stink, and we pretty much solved that problem with our clothespins."

"You took a calculated risk," Jareth smiled, then his eyes seemed to wander off into to space. "I have always admired and felt at ease around people such as yourself, though of late I will understand if I am not worthy to place myself among the ambitious, and great wheels of the world."

Here Sarah started giving him that strange look again, that at a glance was somewhere between confused and hostile. He allowed himself to smile with total confidence, then let his eyes wander over the couples on the dance floor.

He continued: "I must say, Sarah, I find your homeland's latest pursuit of space travel fascinating."

"It is," Sarah agreed still sounding wary and uncertain, "My peers and I have wondered if space travel is possible through magic," then in a more conversational tone, "Though personally I would rather travel to the bottom of the ocean."

"Really? You haven't wondered what it would be like to sail out among the stars like the ancient kings of old?" Jareth asked.

Sarah shrugged, "I wouldn't pass up the opportunity, but I would rather see the strange life, geology and artifacts, there then search huge masses of rock for it."

Jareth had to politely disagree, and this kept the conversation going well into their main course.

* * *

You have to take life as it comes sometimes, without worrying too much, just accept that things are what they are. That meant it was alright that Sarah was having a reasonably good time chatting with Jareth after signing a non disclosure agreement over assault charges, and there was no reason to feel guilty.

"You know I'm not quite sure I believe you." she said, amused.

"And why not?" Jareth asked.

Sarah shook her head, "Your Majesty, you have some interesting pastimes."

"You have no idea, Sarah." he smirked.

"I'm sure I don't." she mused, and had to physically keep herself from clucking. Did he really do that? Part for her said no, never, but after looking at him, another part said maybe he did. They were coming to the end of their food, and the mood was if not relaxed, lighter than it had been.

Sarah's eyes strayed around the room, quite happy with the way things were, so long as she didn't think about the trolls. She deserved it a night out, she decided, so tonight she did what she wanted to.

"Something on your mind?" Jareth asked, calling her back from her thoughts.

"I was just wondering if we might end this night with a dance," she said. It would be a good ending to the evening.

Jareth grinned, "I would be delighted."

They rose, Sarah slipped out of her suit jacket and put it on her chair back, then The Goblin King took her arm and led her to the floor.

They came in midway into a rumba song, and moved at a decent pace around the floor. They spun, stepped, rotated around the floor, each in their own thoughts. Sarah's thoughts were debating the idea of another body just laying beside her tonight, nothing more just being there and warm, against the fact that she really didn't need him there. She could and would make it on her own. Because that is what independent women did. Right?

Of course they were also driven to get the things they wanted, and didn't she deserve this and more for everything she had to do? She did, and just because something isn't going to happen doesn't mean she couldn't dream. Nothing really wrong in thinking about having him lay beside her.

* * *

Jareth spun Sarah, the two of them moving together, back and forth, around, and back, knowing what to do by just feeling and watching the others moments.

His thoughts at present were not as unholy as they could be, because something felt wrong in imagining Sarah in fairly compromising positions, it seemed disrespectful to her as a person.

Maybe they would just dance, and go about their lives as people, and someday kiss, and hold each other and have fun. But that day wasn't today, even if a good half of him still wished it was.

This calm feeling didn't last as long as it should.

The next dance was a tango.

* * *

There was something about moving in sync, going off of the other person's movements, which in this case were just a bit sensual. Sarah's pulse rate was up, and she felt feelings of arousal becoming more and more acute.

They moved to the count of eight, spinning, stepping, touching, she would twirl out from him, only to come back twice as close and have him lift her up and spin them around.

Sarah knew she should stop, her hormones were fast gaining power over her mind, coming up with ideas that wouldn't lead anywhere good – Or would they? Her train of thought suddenly shifted. It had been a long week, a long, terrible week. Wasn't she allowed her own private fantasies? Didn't she deserve to indulge herself just a little?

Yes, so long as it was only the dance. Her reason told her, she didn't know him well enough to go any further.

By the end of the dance Sarah felt blood pounding in her ears, and lower regions. There were butterflies in her chest. For a moment after they stopped, eyes locked, which didn't help the pounding.

* * *

Two powerful wills combined towards their masters desires.

…

…

The next dance was a tango. Once it was done they both stood and drank in the sight of the other. Both of them suddenly feeling free from all concerns and needs, other then the need to be with the other. They paid and then left the building arm in arm. Their magic's imposed their will on the other, so they really just 'felt' what they were supposed to do, neither of them questioning that they were in total control of themselves.

They both got into Sarah's car, and she drove them to her home.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, for all those who are still fallowing. I'm back, for now. My plans fell through with posting chapters often. I would like to thank all of you who are still with me, especially my beta. If you review I will send you a thank you, if you don't, I understand, thanks for reading my little fic anyway.**

 **To: HonoriaGranger,**

 **I'm not sure what is going on with the reviews, I know I can't PM you for some reason, and I'm not sure how I might get in contact with you safely otherwise. :( I'll look into the problem.**


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